2003 Daewoo Kalos — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2003 Daewoo Kalos passed 66.5% of its 1,657 recorded MOT tests. That is 5.8 percentage points worse than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 27.7%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (19.7%) and lighting & signalling (17.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, pins and bushes and headlamp aim — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 200 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 38.1% versus 29.8%.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 40.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 37.4% in 2021 to 33.3% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 19.7% | 327 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 17.2% | 285 |
| 3 | Brakes | 14.2% | 235 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.7% | 160 |
| 5 | Visibility | 9.4% | 156 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 8.5% | 141 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 200 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 151 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 144 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 141 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 129 |
| 6 | Washers | 98 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 40.6% | 672 |
| 2 | Suspension | 39.1% | 647 |
| 3 | Tyres | 26.2% | 434 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 24.5% | 406 |
| 5 | Other defects | 19.2% | 318 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 18.3% | 303 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 84 | 29.8% |
| 30-60k | 545 | 29.0% |
| 60-90k | 654 | 35.0% |
| 90-120k | 290 | 38.3% |
| 120-150k | 63 | 38.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 597 | 37.4% |
| 2022 | 377 | 31.3% |
| 2023 | 303 | 30.7% |
| 2024 | 218 | 31.2% |
| 2025 | 162 | 33.3% |
What to check before buying a 2003 Kalos
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 19.7% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (19.7% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (17.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (14.2% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2003 Daewoo Kaloss pass their MOT?
66.5% of the 1,657 2003 Daewoo Kalos MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 33.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2003 Daewoo Kalos?
Suspension, recorded in 19.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (17.2%).
Does the 2003 Kalos get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 29.8% in the 0-30k band to 38.1% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,657 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.